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Dog won't stop pooping in the house

We have a 10 year old Lab. He has been our dog since he was 4 months. Lately he has been pooping in the house every day. In the same spot, on my white carpet....grr....

He goes out about 5 in the morning. Then around 7:30 in the morning. Then we let him out when we come home around 5pm...at his leisure. He is free to go in and out any time he wants and no spot in the house is off limits.

This has never been a problem for him before. He has always been good about holding it during the day while we are at work.

We switched his food to a healthy diet about 4-5 months ago... the pooping just started 2 weeks ago...so I am not convinced it's related.

I don't want to spank him or shove his face in it like some suggest to do. If he has ever gone in the house, we always knew it truly was an accident. But now, he is going in the same spot...every day...and always poo. I can hardly take it any more...it's gross.

Today I put him in the laundry room to segregate him from the rest of the house....and he poo'd. How a dog poo's on the side of a wall...I may never know.

I just don't know what to do. He know's it's bad, it's written all over his face when we come home, but he won't stop.

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

Vet check first to rule out any health issues.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

Originally Posted by lil2muchluv

I just don't know what to do. He know's it's bad, it's written all over his face when we come home, but he won't stop.

No, he doesn't know he's been bad. Dogs don't feel bad about going to the bathroom when they have to. That "look on his face" is because he knows you are upset and probably yelling or talking angrily about the poop.

Your dog is getting on in years. Older dogs may start having accidents indoors. It may be health related. You may want to talk to your vet about this.

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

Originally Posted by Geraldinefaye

Yeah, just take him to the vet to check if there are any problems.. I think the problem goes with your dog's age?

It doesn't necessarily go with age...one of my dogs is 13.5, and she almost never potties in the house. Only if she ate something that didn't agree with her and gets diarrhea. She will usually try to wake us up, but we are all pretty heavy sleepers, so....

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

Yea Vet first....maybe its his diet.
Dont get mad at him...hes upset enough.
but ...Im pretty sure its just because hes getting old.
Ive had several Labs and your problem sounds familiar .
I actually installed a doggie door to a tiled mud room with a drain in the floor.
Just because my older dogs couldnt make it through the day without poopin....
keep us informed!

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

We don't yell at him. Normally we just feel bad for him b/c I know he doesn't want to go in the house. What gets me about it...its always in the same spot. That is why I think it may be more behavioral.

We took him to the vet 4 months ago b/c he was limping. He was diagnosed with tendonitus after numerous blood tests and x-rays.
He had a full workup.

We switched his diet b/c weight was an issue. His joints are more volitile now that he is older and the pressure on his joints was too much. He has lost a few pounds and is no longer limping.

Does anyone know what kind of food/ingredients promote soft stool in dogs? I was always told lamb and rice or chicken and rice would stiff him up, but that seems to make it worse.

He has recently had an ear infection too. And I know that can be associated with the change in diet.

I will try the enzyme thing suggested for that spot..... I just have elcheapo dog carpet cleaner I bought at Walmart with the almighty oxy clean in it.

Re: Dog won't stop pooping in the house

My dog did this a year and a half ago, right before she turned 10. Turned out she picked up a parasite. We're not sure how, but its something carried in birds. Maybe she got some bird poo in gut somehow (dogs are gross! LOL.) She goes on regular walks but she probably picked it up in the backyard since there's a bunch of different birds back there.

After 4 pills for the parasite she was back to normal. I know you took him to the vet 4 months ago, but its possible he picked something up. Call you vet and see if they'll just analyze the stool sample without doing a physical exam. It may be something simple like that.